Bush Budget Will Have Small Increase for HBCUs
By Charles Dervarics
President Bush will propose a 5 percent increase for historically Black and Hispanic-serving colleges in his 2004 budget plan in February.
The White House made the announcement on the weekend of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, noting that the president has a five-year commitment to increase HBCU and HSI funding by 30 percent through 2005.
If enacted into law, the main HBCU program used by 99 institutions would receive $224 million next year. The 18 colleges and universities in the HBCU graduate program would receive $53 million. HSIs, in a competitive grant, would divide $94 million in funds.
While the White House prepares for release of its 2004 budget, Congress and the president have yet to enact an education budget for fiscal 2003, which began last October. Most of the major issues are on big-ticket items such as K-12 education reform, job training and health funding.
However, the impasse continues to leave elementary, secondary and higher education programs with just temporary funding.
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